Enslaved

When you here the word slavery what’s the first thing that comes to your mind? Chains, rules, restrictions, discrimination, etc. Well, I’m not thinking about how people captured fellow human beings and exchanged them for money. That was a messed up thing to do but the world has become even worse. So let’s go back to our ‘slavery’. You and I are slaves and you, most certainly, know that is true. There’s always something holding us captive either a Job or habits or even people.

I sat and thought to myself I used to complain about the high school I was in. Too many unnecessary rules and the way the system was totally different from any other high school in the whole country. All I longed for was for the day I would live the school. I won’t deny that there was good in the school but I also had a fair share of bad. Every time I began a new term I would be making possible scenarios in my head about how the term would end until the day actually came. I would feel like I’ve shed off a great deal of weight and would go home smiling until I completed my four years.

I have come to the realization that when you are used to living under so many rules and people deciding what you should and shouldn’t do, it shapes you into a totally different person. This is the slavery I had in mind, you become a slave to someone else’s principles. You can become

Revolutionary. We tend to feel that enough is enough we need to change whatever is happening and figure out new ways of doing things.

Misguided. We are not sure what is right and what is wrong. We are scared of doing things because they might be wrong.

Self hating. This is an act of disliking or being angry at yourself due to the way people keep pushing you around to do what they want and not what you want because you have no control over it.

Ignorant to the culture and struggles. We become so hardened by the way of life that we don’t care about whatever happens, it simply doesn’t matter anymore.

Whatever is convenient. I will do what needs to be done provided I get through the day and live to see another day.

It’s not always true that you become revolutionary. Most of the time we become misguided because we don’t have an idea about how we should live our life, if we like what is our favorite because we actually like it or because we were deceived into believing we like it. This is the whole reason why people start second guessing everything and end up making poor choices or none at all. We have a wake up call that we don’t actually know who we are. We end up changing how we do things and sometimes when we realize this it’s too late, that is why people end up quitting the best jobs after working so hard through college to get them.

Don’t get me wrong I didn’t say rules are bad. Rules are meant to guide us on how to do the right thing. Think of this, what If I come across sign posts only telling me what not to do instead of what to do. If I’m not suppose to turn right and I’m not supposed to turn left, how do I know which direction I should take or should I stay wherever I am forever?

We should have rules that guide us, not suppress our way of thinking. Help me, help us.